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Chagrin Falls voters to decide in 2014 on creating joint recreation district

chagrin valley recreation center proposal.jpg

This is an artist's rendering of the proposed $16 million Chagrin Valley Recfreation Center, which would be built in South Russell Park if voters approve the creation of a joint recreation district and approve tax measures to pay for the facility.

Because petitions were not submitted to the village in time, the ballot initiative was unable to go on this fall's ballot.

"Ohio law has a very rigid and specific timeline for initiative petitions," said Ben Himes, the village's chief administrative officer.

The petitions were filed with the village council clerk July 26. Himes said by law, the clerk had to hold on to the petitions for 10 days before submitting them to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, which was done Aug. 6.

The board of elections informed the village Aug. 14 there were 216 valid signatures on the petitions, more than the 190 required for the measure to be placed on the ballot. However, the deadline to place the initiative petition on this November's ballot was Aug. 7.

"We are past the 90-day deadline for this year's election," village law director Stephen Byron told village council.

"That obviously pushes this out quite a ways," South Russell Mayor Matthew Brett said upon being told Wednesday the initiative petition will not appear on the ballot until 2014. "I'm not sure what impact this will have."

A potential site for the new $16 million recreation center is in South Russell Village Park on East Washington Street, and Brett said the village is "very supportive of the idea and concept." But he added the center needs to be a collaborative effort between all the communities involved.

"Chagrin is a critical element to this," Brett said.

Bainbridge Trustee Lorrie Sass Benza was also surprised to hear the petitions did not make this year's ballot in Chagrin.

"I was aware the (Chagrin Valley Recreation Expansion) committee was trying to do that for this fall," Sass Benza said Wednesday.

She said the trustees have not been requested to take a formal vote on establishing the joint recreation district, but she said any legislation regarding the district must contain a provision in which a majority of voters in each community pass the legislation or it doesn't pass in any of the communities.

"Because Bainbridge has the most residents, I would not be willing to have a majority of Bainbridge residents vote against it and then have it pass because of the other communities," Sass Benza said. "To me, that is a fatal flaw."

Chagrin Falls Councilman Richard Subel is worried about the taxes that would be imposed on residents to fund the new rec center.

"My understanding is there could be people in other municipalities determining what people in Chagrin Falls pay in taxes for this," Subel said at Monday's council meeting.

Byron said the taxation issue comes into play only after the recreation district is created.

"It's not a situation where other communities would be imposing taxes on the village," Byron said.

"We have plenty of time to understand it better," Councilwoman Janna Lutz said.

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